The soothing hum of the Bioluminescent Manta Ray resonated through the cool night air, blending with the faint whispers of the wind.
Phaenora stirred, her consciousness returning as she felt a warm yet firm surface beneath her. Blinking groggily, she found herself lying on Vastarael's lap. Above them, the sky stretched endlessly, the three full moons casting their white light over the world.
She pushed herself upright slowly, taking in her surroundings. They were flying above the clouds, the Manta Ray's bioluminescent fins casting an enchanting blue and golden light around them. The scene was serene, almost dreamlike, but the sound of cheerful chatter disrupted the calm.
Phaenora turned, her eyes narrowing as she spotted the little girl, the one who had just obliterated an entire city. She was sitting close to Vastarael, her legs swinging over the side of the manta, her face alight with joy as she animatedly spoke to him. Vastarael, listened with a soft smile, nodding at her enthusiastic words.
It struck Phaenora how drastically the girl had changed. Hours ago, she was an uncontrollable storm of destruction. Now, she was just... a child.
A child who was looking at Vastarael as if he were her entire world.
Phaenora's gaze darkened when the girl, mid-sentence, reached up and tugged at Vastarael's white curls, giggling as she ruffled them.
"Your hair is so soft!" The girl exclaimed, her voice filled with childlike wonder. "And curly too!"
Vastarael chuckled softly, indulging her with a patient smile.
"Is it?" he asked, leaning down slightly so she could touch it more easily. "You can touch it more if you want."
Phaenora bristled. She sat up straighter, glaring at the girl, who seemed blissfully unaware of her presence.
"Hey. Do you mind not treating him like a toy?"
The girl blinked, finally noticing Phaenora. She tilted her head, then stuck her tongue out playfully before turning back to Vastarael.
"She's grumpy," she whispered loudly, as if Phaenora couldn't hear her.
Before Phaenora could retort, the girl did something that made her blood boil. She leaned against Vastarael's chest, nuzzling into him with a content sigh.
"I like you," the girl declared boldly, her small arms wrapping around him. "You're my favorite now! I'll call you dad from now on!"
Phaenora's hands clenched into fists. She opened her mouth to say something, but Vastarael cut her off with a glance.
"Phaenora, she's just a little girl."
The words stung more than she expected. Still, she crossed her arms and looked away, muttering under her breath;
"Doesn't mean she gets to hog you."
Vastarael smirked faintly, the corner of his lips quirking up as he ruffled the girl's auburn hair. She giggled again, seemingly unaware of the silent war brewing between the two.
Despite herself, Phaenora couldn't help but glance back. She noticed how at ease Vastarael seemed, his usually calm features softened by the rare tranquility of the moment. And the girl, well, for all her irritating antics, she was... harmless now. Innocent, even.
Yet, as the girl nestled closer into Vastarael, Phaenora felt a strange pang of jealousy twist in her chest. It wasn't rational, she knew that, but it didn't stop the feeling from gnawing at her.
Vastarael glanced at her again, his smile turning slightly teasing.
"You're pouting."
"I am not," Phaenora snapped, her cheeks flushing.
The girl turned her head to look at Phaenora, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"You like him too, don't you?" she asked innocently, tilting her head.
Phaenora froze, caught completely off guard.
"W-What? That's not—"
"Are you sure?"
Vastarael joined in as he hugged the girl tightly, both of them looking at Phaenora.
The girl perked up, her big eyes darting between Vastarael and Phaenora.
"She doesn't like me, does she?"
Vastarael made a show of sighing, holding the girl protectively against him.
"You're probably right. Phaenora doesn't like you at all," he said dramatically, patting the girl's head as if comforting her. "Maybe she doesn't even like me either."
The girl gasped, her small hands clutching Vastarael's arm. She turned to Phaenora, puffing out her cheeks.
"Then she should stay away from you! If you don't like him, don't bother him!"
Phaenora's jaw dropped. "I never said that!"
"Oh? So you do like me?"
His smirk widened as he rested his chin on the little girl's head, clearly enjoying her flustered state.
The girl, emboldened by Vastarael's teasing, crossed her arms and huffed.
"Then say it! If you don't like him, go away. If you do like him, say it loud!"
Phaenora's hands balled into fists, her face glowing red as she struggled to respond.
"This is ridiculous," she muttered, glaring at Vastarael.
"You're making her feel insecure," he said, his tone mock-serious. "Just admit it, Phaenora. Be honest. It's the least you could do after glaring at her all evening."
"You're enjoying this," she snapped, pointing a trembling finger at him.
"I'm just supporting the truth."
"The hell you're not! You're smiling!"
The little girl joined in, her voice surprisingly firm. "Say it!"
Phaenora clenched her jaw, her frustration bubbling over. The tension in her chest felt unbearable and before she could stop herself, the words burst out.
"Fine! I like you, okay?! Is that what you wanted to hear?!"
Her voice echoed across the night sky, startling even herself. As soon as the words left her lips, she clamped her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide with embarrassment.
Vastarael raised an eyebrow, clearly pleased, while the girl let out a triumphant giggle.
"See? I knew it!" she said, beaming as if she had won a great victory.
Phaenora glared daggers at Vastarael, her face burning. "You—"
He held up a hand, cutting her off with a teasing grin.
"Relax, Phaenora. You didn't have to yell it out like that. But... thanks for being honest."
His sincerity caught her off guard and for a brief moment, her anger faltered. She averted her gaze, muttering under her breath.
"She's marked me, you know," he said quietly, his tone matter-of-fact.
Phaenora's breath hitched. She hadn't realized how serious that was until now. Both of them knew what kind of race she was and being marked by them...
"And you're okay with that?" She asked, her voice laced with disbelief.
Vastarael shrugged lightly, his fingers absently brushing through the girl's hair.
"I'm not thrilled about it," he admitted. "But I couldn't exactly refuse her. She needed someone to ground her, and I... I couldn't let her face it all alone."
Phaenora bit her lip, her irritation giving way to a reluctant sense of understanding. She didn't like it but as she watched Vastarael sit there, she realized that this was just who he was. A protector. A guide. Someone who would carry the weight of others' pain, no matter how heavy it was.
And despite herself, she couldn't help but admire him for it.
'I see why he has the Divinity of Protection.'
The manta ray glided silently through the starry expanse above the clouds, its bioluminescent glow casting soft ripples of light across the three figures onboard. Beneath them, the world opened up in a vast, desolate panorama, the centerpiece of which was the Fallen Bridge.
Vastarael stood at the edge of the manta's back, his eyes fixed on the bridge with an intensity that matched the unease growing in his chest. The girl was amazed to see the tunnel of ice. Phaenora herself looked uneasy, her gaze darting between Vastarael and the looming structure ahead.
"We have no choice. If we don't cross the Fallen Bridge before midnight, we'll be trapped here when the Destras Cataclysm hits."
Phaenora nodded, though her expression was strained.
"A year left. A year to watch this place crumble under the Cataclysm. And if we don't make it through, we'll die here."
The weight of her words hung heavily in the air. The Erna Isles wouldn't survive the wrath of the Cataclysm. And deep down, they both knew that staying to fight it wasn't an option.
Fighting gods was not on their to do list.
Vastarael's gaze drifted back to the girl. He knew that he was meant to take her with him. In fact, when he took Chainless from the past, time wasn't affected and he knew that the same would happen to the girl.
It was as if he was allowed to bring someone from the past without any consequences. And his instincts told him that the girl was vital for the Destras Cataclysm in the Erna Isles and the Frozen God.
He couldn't let her suffer under those conditions. That's the main reason why he was so adamant on leaving quickly before they got closer to the Destras Cataclysm.
They met EPOCH on the Fallen Bridge and that meant that she was the one who created it. And that meant that the only way for them to leave this last was to go there again.
As the manta ray descended, bringing them closer to the bridge, a chill ran through Phaenora. The air grew heavier and oppressive, as if the bridge itself carried the weight of countless lives lost. The structure was ancient, its frost walls cracked and worn, yet its presence was suffused with a strange energy.
"Sirithiele won't follow us," Phaenora said quietly, her voice tinged with regret. "Once we pass through the bridge, we won't see her again until we go to the Epoch Cycle."
Vastarael's expression hardened.
"Then we don't have time to hesitate."
Vastarael held the girl as the manta ray floated below the entrance of the ice tunnel. The two slid down the manta's wings and landed at the entrance before the ray vanished into a golden light.
They got inside the Fallen Bridge. Just like before, the floor was made out of wooden planks but this time, they were extremely stable. They didn't look damaged at all. The feeling of death was still there but they kept walking.
And finally, they got to the three tunnels.
"The Tunnel of Teamwork, the Tunnel of Combat and the Tunnel of Intellect. We already passed the Teamwork and Intellect one but we didn't go through the Combat Tunnel," Phaenora reminded him. "I'm sure that if we pass this, we'll go back to the Epoch Cycle."
"Yup. And Narisva said that she had to fight a lot of Krepsunas. And if EPOCH built this, and the entire island is a Phantasm Krepsuna..."
"Then the Krepsunas must be born from the energy of the dead Krepsuna," Phaenora finished. "Maybe the Fallen Bridge is a prison for the Krepsunas born in the Isles? Maybe the Frozen God came from here?"
Everything was making sense now but they didn't have time to think about it. They took a deep breath and faced the middle tunnel.
"Are you ready to fight some Krepsunas?" Vastarael asked the girl, who nodded in agreement.
"Let's go!"
"That's the spirit."
The three of them walked into the second tunnel, ready to fight their way through it to get back to the Epoch Cycle.